CITU, SFI oppose eviction of vendors from varsity campus

A minor scuffle broke out between police personnel and the activists of the Centre of Indian Trade Union (CITU) and the Students’ Federation of India (SFI) during an eviction drive on the campus of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU).

The incident occurred during the drive being conducted by the university officials along with police and district administration officials to evict unauthorised eateries, shops and makeshift structures on the university premises. As the officials were removing encroachments, several SFI activists opposed the drive and raised slogans against the university administration. After some time, a delegation of CITU activists led by Vijender Mehra, state CITU president, reached there and opposed the eviction drive.

The matter escalated as the police tried to restrain the protesters, who were engaged in a heated argument with the university officials that culminated in a minor scuffle.

Mehra alleged that street vendors were being evicted in violation of the provisions of the Street Vendors Act. He added that it was also a violation of Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution.

He said that small shopkeepers had been earning their livelihood here for many years and forcefully evicting them from the university would harm their source of income, ultimately affecting their families. He warned the university of intensifying protests against the eviction drive in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the university authorities said that the land where these eateries and shops were located belonged to the university and notices had already been issued to the vendors and operators in advance regarding encroachments. They added that legal action would be initiated against the encroachers if they did not remove the encroachments.